Equalization payments need to end. It’s not helping anyone by being dependent on the government for handouts.
That said, if these islands can show an economic plan that would keep them off the public dole, then perhaps we can work something out.
Yes, we could work something out. The real reason that this hasn’t happened yet is that many Canadians (you know the type) thought it would be tantamount to imperialism — it would look like the start of a Canadian empire.